


(the mettle to) make the world stop

by crashyears



Category: K (Anime)
Genre: K Project - Freeform, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-22
Updated: 2012-12-22
Packaged: 2017-11-22 02:07:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,581
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/604628
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crashyears/pseuds/crashyears
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“You’re at a loss here. Because, no he wasn’t. But you don’t know what he was. Totsuka came almost immediately after Munakata defected to the dark side. You hadn’t meant to replace him, but, somehow, you ended up doing just that. He was a poor middle-school kid who happened to idealize you. Before you became king, and worshipped you after.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	(the mettle to) make the world stop

**Author's Note:**

> Written as a present for deadlychaser on tumblr. Cross-posted there. I guess the first part is canon-compliant, and occurs during Mikoto's captivity and the second part presupposes the conclusion of the series, and is written after.

**some days**  
  
“Cut the crap. You know why I’m here.” He always finds some reason to dance around the issue. Weismann limits, being the most recent in his string of diatribes. He says that your sword is damaged, that it’s falling apart. And you know that. You know you’re not fit to be a king, you became a king (or something pretty damn close,) you weren’t born one.  
  
He smirks. A hand is resting on the frame of the door, his back is towards you. “Owning up at last, Suoh?” That makes you flinch. He hasn’t called you that in a long time. But then again, you haven’t spoken for a while.  
  
Fuck you. “Maybe I am.”  
  
He swivels around on his heel. It’s a fluid motion that reminds you of currents that ebb in and out of a shallow pool of water. He has a slight grin. Intense emotions were never really his suit. And excepting anger, nor were yours. “He must have been a titan.” He pauses. “No. A living god.” He nods. “He must have been a living god to rile the great Mikoto Suoh up this badly.”  
  
Fuck off. “We were family.”  
  
“Weren’t we, though?” To his credit, he sort of looks regretful. His Majesty, Mr. Reishi Munakata, The High Lord and Fourth Kin.  
  
And it is sort of true, the family part anyways. The two of you knew each other growing up. Apartments stacked one on top of another, parents who were never around, a cat that you used to feed together. They were all ingredients for some sort of relationship between the two of you. You clung onto each other because you had nothing else to hold.  
  
Both of your fathers were plebeians, though lords in their own right. Yours owned a company or something, and his was some sort of doctor. Neither of them knew about the kings. And you don’t think they would’ve cared.  
  
Before you met Totsuka, you had him. And those hazy cigarette-kisses in bathrooms and against brick walls. He wouldn’t do much more than that. Because Reishi was born a king, and you were just made one. You think that some part of him must’ve always known that he was going to lead Scepter-4.  
  
You realize that this reminiscing must look somewhat melancholy, because he waves off your concern. He sits next to you on the sparse twin mattress. “Fushimi didn’t seem to agree with your idealized conception of HOMRA.” (And although you aren’t looking at him, you can hear him push his glasses up the bridge of his nose at idealized. That makes you laugh a little. Well, you would’ve laughed, anyways, were you in a position to do so.)  
  
“And he feels more at home here?”  
  
“That is correct.” He sighs. “But your…”  
  
“Totsuka”  
  
“Yes. Your Totsuka isn’t like my Fushimi.”  
  
You’re at a loss here. Because, no he wasn’t. But you don’t know what he was. Totsuka came almost immediately after Munakata defected to the dark side. You hadn’t meant to replace him, but, somehow, you ended up doing just that. He was a poor middle-school kid who happened to idealize you. Before you became king, and worshipped you after.  
  
Determined to become a vassal, and you’d be damned if you prevented him from doing otherwise. You loved him, you all did. (Or at least you tell yourself that, he was so goddamn charismatic.)  
  
You purposefully distanced yourself from him. Fire and violence are always hungry. They always invite themselves in. And as king, you were those two things. But somehow, he never saw you as those things. Thought you could be a good father to Anna, maybe. Didn’t care that your Sword of Damocles was the most busted-up piece of junk on the streets.  
  
And you think, if he weren’t preceded by this frigid guy, there might have been something there. He might have been warm, and at your side instead of dead on a rooftop. But then again, he would’ve been a target. He didn’t have any mastery over the powers you gave him. And everyone knew he was far too gentle to harm a soul. You frequented that hospital bed that was practically reserved for him in the ER.  
  
“We loved him. We all did.”  
  
Munakata grins. “Is that a we as in HOMRA, or a royal we?” Air quotes around the royal we.  
  
“Shut up. It’s not like you haven’t had your fair share of kisses.” You grin. “Or, have you moved past that stage? Are you finally ready to—“ you mock gasp. “Ready to hug someone?”  
  
“Suoh.” He shakes his head. “You’re never this nonchalant.”  
  
“No.” You wave him away. It’s not really his concern. “I just need to stop thinking.”  
  
“It wouldn’t have ended any differently, you know. The Seventh King would’ve hunted him down. God knows how many people would’ve been caught in the crossfire.”  
  
He’s not a goddamn sacrificial lamb. “Yeah.”  
  
“But you’re still thinking.”  
  
“Yeah.”  
  
“About what?”  
  
“Hey, Reishi?” You feel like you’re in middle school again. “You think that maybe, if neither of us were kings… maybe do you think... we would’ve still lived in that apartment complex?”  
  
He doesn’t seem to think about it at all. “No.” It’s cold, and firm. Unyielding. “No, we wouldn’t have. We’re very different people, Suoh.”  
  
“Smoke the same brand, though.”  
  
“Suoh…”  
  
“Fuck. There’s nobody else here. You know nobody orbits this side of the building.”  
  
He frowns. “Suoh… What are you suggesting?”  
  
“Shut up and kiss me.”  
  
It takes him a minute to. He almost had you convinced that he was going to leave and never come back. At first, it was just a slight pressure on your lips, but now, his mouth is open, and his tongue is darting into yours. He’s holding you firmly, and you can feel him trembling. But you think that that should be you. Filled with doubts and uncertainties.  
  
 **some nights**  
  
It’s over now, you think. Totsuka is avenged, the world is right. The new Seventh and Colorless King should be crowned sometime soon (and you know who it’s going to be. You don’t trust the Black Dog entirely, but...)  
  
You can see the entire island from the rooftop. You chuckle. You and Munakata ripped the thing to shreds during your power struggle. Before you knew what the king’s game was. But you know that it’s going to be rebuilt. Instantaneously. The Golden King has an extensive domain. And it just so happens that he has a fondness for Weismann. And because king numero uno requested it, he’ll do it.  
  
Before he disappeared into thin air, he said that your Sword of Damocles was beyond repair. (Nice parting gift.) It’d heal, if you gave it time. But you’re not quite sure that you have that. You’ve entertained this fantasy of being a cop or something. On the other side of the world, the one that is outside of the umbra that psychic powers cast. You sigh. You’re a king, and a king until you die.  
  
You need a smoke. You fumble around for a bit. You don’t find one. Must’ve dropped them, then.  
  
“Looking for something?” You can hear that grin. He’s not in any shape to do anything.  
  
“Lost all of my cigarettes. It’s a damn shame.” You shake your head in mock disappointment.  
  
He gives you one of his. He presses the lighter to the butt, then slips it back into his pocket.  
  
You exhale, a plume of smoke drifting upwards. “What brings you here?”  
  
“Thought I’d take some pictures. It’s a beautiful night. Maybe record for a bit.”  
  
You laugh. It’s laced with something; some undetectable emotion that may very well be regret. “If I didn’t know you better, I’d say that you were picking up a new hobby, Reishi.”  
  
“It really is a beautiful night, Suoh.”  
  
You snort. “Is this what peace looks like?”  
  
“You know better than that..” He laughs a little bit. “It’s only temporary.”  
  
You laugh with him. “You know, I was almost convinced for a moment, there.” You suppose there always is a Totsuka though. It just so happens that this time, you were caught in the crossfire. “Must be getting old.” It’s a lame joke, but you hope he’ll take it.  
  
“These days, I find myself thinking the same thing.” But you know he’s lying through his teeth.  
  
“You know, Awashima and Kusunagi have had this on and off thing going for a while…” You shrug. It was a spur-of-the-moment decision.  
  
“What are you suggesting?”  
  
“Y’know… for a few days. Doesn’t have to be too long… I’unno.”  
  
Munakata closes his eyes. “Are you sure you don’t have me confused with someone else?”  
  
“It was the other way around, actually. He reminded me of you. The both of you told me the exact same thing, actually.”  
  
“Oh.”  
  
“You know what, forget it.” You wave him away. “Thanks for the cigarette.” You turn to leave.  
  
“Suoh.”  
  
“What?”  
  
“This thing… don’t let it fool you.”  
  
(Yeah. You know that.) You laugh some more. “Wasn’t planning on permanence here. We’re at war. We’re always at war.” That’s one thing you can always count on. If there’s more than one hungry dog in an alleyway, or in your case, king in a city…  
  
“Good.” He sighs. “Good.”  
  
“Is that it?”  
  
He exhales deeply. “No.” The next thing he says is sort of surprising. “You and I both know that nobody is going to come up here.”  
  
You grin. “Damn straight.”


End file.
